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Supported Employment:
A Customer-Driven Approach
A relatively short time ago, there was a pervasive perception that individuals with significant
disabilities were incapable of competitive employment. The predominant philosophy during this
period suggested that individuals with significant disabilities needed to be “fixed”, “cured”,
“prevocationally trained”, or “habilitated” before they could have a legitimate work life. Over the
past 15 years, this perception has been drastically altered. Supported employment has played a major
role in changing these perceptions.
One of the greatest strengths of supported employment is the sheer simplicity of its concept:
to assist persons with severe or significant disabilities in obtaining and maintaining community
integrated competitive employment through specifically planned supports. The philosophy completely
turns the old service delivery paradigm aside and puts the focus on the consumer or customer of the
service. Yet, the field has been fraught with confusion, even from the very early years of supported
employment. Evidence of this con-fusion can be found in the original Job Coach Training Manual
published by VCU-RRTC in the early 1980's. The glossary of terms defined the similarities and
differences between the supported work model of competitive employment, supported competitive
employment, job coach model, individual placement model, supported jobs, competitive employment,
bench work model, mobile work crews, and transitional employment. Many national supported
employment experts have attributed the loss of focus and intensity in supported employment
implementation efforts to the confusion about the basic premise of supported employment and a lack
of understanding of best practices and technology. This chapter will attempt to remedy this issue
by sharing historical information, current best practices, as well as a new customer-driven approach
to supported employment.
E
MPLOYMENT PRACTICES &PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
In the middle of the 20th century, most adults with significant disabilities were viewed as
unemployable, and/or unable to compete in the nation’s competitive labor force. Typically, most
individuals lived with their families or in large segregated institutions. For the most part, people with
disabilities were not seen as contributing members of society; rather, they were viewed as wards of
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the state who needed care and protection.
The 1960's brought a decade of change that focused on the civil rights of all American
citizens. Although the Civil Rights Act did not focus specifically on persons with disabilities, it did
become a piece of corner-stone legislation, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race and national
origin. In addition, deinstitutionalization was beginning to occur for persons with disabilities.
Primarily, this was for individuals residing in mental health centers.
The 1970's were an important decade for people with disabilities. Several significant events
occurred during this period that altered society’s image of people with disabilities. Primary among
these events was the beginning of a strong and organized disability movement. The table on this page
provides a brief chron-ology of key events that would play a major role in shaping the future
philosophical frame-work for supported employment.
S
UPPORTED EMPLOYMENT VALUES
Supported employment demonstration projects emerged during the late 1970's and early
1980's. Generally, these demonstration projects were small and typically were tied to university-based
programs. Prior to the availability of supported employment as a service option, the values inherent
in traditional sheltered employment programs, sometimes referred to as affirmative industry, can be
traced back to a time when community-oriented services for people with disabilities did not exist and
a facility-based solution seemed to fit the need. Facility-based programs offered families security,
consistency, and safety.
KEY EVENTS THAT SHAPED THE FRAMEWORK FOR SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT
1972: Principle of Normalization
Wolf Wolfensburg calls for a new service delivery paradigm which moves services for people with
disabilities away from segregated programs into the mainstream of society. The principle of
normalization became imbedded in federal law and community services for people with disabilities
became increasingly available.
1972: Try Another Way
Marc Gold and Associates develops a new vocational training technology which demonstrates that
people with significant cognitive disabilities can learn complex vocational tasks.
1973: Centers for Independent Living
For the first time, the government re-cognizes independent living as a viable concept and Centers for
Independent Living are funded and opened around the country.
1975: Public Law 94-142
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The Education for All Handicapped Children Act mandates a free and appropriate public education
for all children in the least restrictive environment.
1. Security: The facility-based program assured people with disabilities and their family members
that they would have an adult day program/service as an alternative to staying at home.
2. Consistency: The facility offered a pro-gram that was built around a routine.
3. Safety: The facility provided for a safe and well-supervised environment.
The advent of supported employment led many people with disabilities, family members,
service providers, and other citizens to examine their values and approach to rehabilitation. Over
time, people with disabilities, families, advocates, and professionals began to criticize and openly
disapprove of sheltered employment facilities. This general dissatisfaction occurred as a natural
evolution of the philosophical mind-shift that emerged during the 1970's and 1980's. With the
national publication of successful supported employment demonstration projects, there emerged a
new rehabilitation model. Employment was seen, by many, as the means by which people with
disabilities could obtain community membership.
From its inception, in the early 1980's supported employment services have required
rehabilitation service providers, employers, families, and legislatures to examine their values
regarding an individual’s right to work. These discussions included such issues as severity and type
of disability, type of employment, number of hours worked, benefits, earnings, and environmental
setting. Supported employment has always been about real community jobs for all people, specifically
those individuals with significant disabilities. This means physical and social participation of
supported employment participants in the business setting with equal pay for equal work; in fact, the
higher the earnings the better. By the end of the 1980’s, many historical events had occurred that led
to the establishment of supported employment as a viable rehabilitation service option.
# The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services funded a number of states to create
supported employment systems change.
# The Rehabilitation Act was amended in 1986 to include: 1) definition of supported employment;
2) provisions for exclusive funds for supported employment (Title VI-C); and 3) authorization
of case service dollars for individuals traditionally served by vocational rehabilitation (Title I).
# New interagency collaborations at both the state and local levels of government were established
to achieve supported employment outcomes for people with significant disabilities.
# The concepts of “employability” and “readiness” gained national attention as out-of-date
concepts.
# Supported employment was established as an alternative service option with a presumption of
employment for all individuals, in a competitive job that is related to the person’s interests and
abilities.
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The 1980's ended with a new array of vocational services for persons with significant
disabilities. Essentially, the old practices of the 1970's continued while the new rehabilitation model
called supported employment was added onto the traditional rehabilitation ser-vices options. People
with severe disabilities could now choose from a variety of vocational alternatives. These
alternatives ranged from day treatment services which are facility-based and generally nonvocational in design; to supported employment, which includes real jobs in the local labor market
with assistance and support in obtaining and maintaining community integrated competitive
employment. The following table lists nine values that have guided supported employment efforts
from the early 1980's and provides a brief description of each.
Supported Employment Values
Values
Values Clarification
Presumption of Employment
A conviction that everyone, regardless of the level or the
type of disability, has the capability and right to a job.
Competitive Employment
A conviction that employment occurs within the local labor
market in regular community businesses.
Control
A conviction that when people with disabilities choose
and regulate their own employment supports and
services, career satisfaction will result.
Commensurate Wages &
Benefits
A conviction that people with disabilities should earn
wages and benefits equal to that of coworkers performing
the same or similar jobs.
Focus on Capacity & Capabilities
A conviction that people with disabilities should be viewed
in terms of their abilities, strengths, and interests rather than
their disabilities.
Importance of Relationships
A conviction that community relationships both at, and
away from, work leads to mutual respect and acceptance.
Power of Supports
A conviction that people with disabilities need to determine
their personal goals and receive assistance in assembling
the supports necessary to achieve their ambitions.
Systems Change
A conviction that traditional systems must be changed to
ensure customer control which is vital to the integrity of
supported employment.
Importance of Community
A conviction that people need to be connected to the formal
and informal networks of a community for acceptance,
growth, and development.
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From its inception, supported employment has been characterized by individual placement
or group option arrangements. Initially, four distinct models for supported employment
implementation were introduced and defined. It was thought by many professionals that many new
models would evolve over time. However, over the last several years the models of supported
employment have remained largely intact with the exception of an additional group option that was
introduced in the early 1990's.
Individual Placement Model of Competitive Employment -- This model is considered by
many to be the least restrictive and most normalizing of all the rehabilitation service delivery models
(Rehab Brief, 1986). This model is characterized by one employment specialist working with one
person to obtain and maintain the community integrated competitive employment position of choice
(Moon, Goodall, Barcus & Brooke, 1985; Wehman, 1981).
Group Options
Enclave -- An enclave can be defined as a group of individuals, usually three to eight, who
work together in a group with the assistance of a permanent full-time supervisor. Employment occurs
within a regular, community-based industry called the host company with participants’ earnings based
upon production rate results. (Rhodes & Valenta, 1985a).
Mobile Work Crew -- A mobile work crew usually includes between three to eight
employees with significant disabilities and one or two supervisors. Typically, a mobile work crew
travels through a community performing specialized contract services. This model is different from
enclaves, because mobile crews typically operate several different contracts and move regularly from
one business to another. Crew supervisors are often responsible for pro-viding daily supervision and
coaching of crew employees, while performing on-going contract procurement activities. For this
reason, a mobile work crew can be a complex business to operate (Jacobs,1974; Bourbeau, 1985).
Dispersed Group or Cluster Option -- The dispersed group or cluster option of sup-ported
employment is similar to the other group options, in that the agency provides a full-time supervisor
to provide training to the employees. Yet, the cluster option has several significant differences to
include: 1) all supported employment participants are hired by the business, and 2) wage earnings are
commensurate with co-workers performing the same/similar duties. This model of supported
employment is characterized by the business hiring up to eight individuals, all of whom work in
different positions but in close proximity to the on-site supervisor (Moon, Inge, Wehman, Brooke,
& Barcus, 1990; Nietupski, 1993).
Entrepreneurial Model -- The entrepreneurial or small business option of supported
employment has changed a great deal in the last few years. For many years, this model was
characterized by manufacturing services design or subcontract operation arrangements, that hired
eight or fewer persons with significant disabilities, as well as employees without disabilities. The most
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notable of the early entrepreneurial model programs was the benchwork model which involved a
benchwork of small electronic assembly businesses across the country (Boles, Bellamy, Horner, &
Mank, 1985; O’Brian, 1985).
In the past, the entrepreneurial model was operated with the “system” in control of the
business or sub-contract arrangement. Today the entrepreneurial model of supported employment
looks very different. People with significant disabilities are joining their friends and families and are
owning and operating their own businesses. The success of these small businesses will depend on the
ability to attract customers or, in some cases, contracts.
It is important to note that in the last several years supported employment has seen a sharp
decline in the number of persons participating in group options and a growth in individual placement
models. This manual will ad-dress the development and implementation of the individual placement
model of competitive employment. However, best practices, strategies, and outcomes that will be
presented will apply to all supported employment options.
Over the years, supported employment has continued to grow and progress. This progress
has resulted in a new way of doing business. This vision of supported employment is characterized
by a “customer-driven approach” to supported employment. This approach includes several critical
best practices which are described in the following section.
C
USTOMER-DRIVEN APPROACH TO SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT
Many individuals with disabilities have characterized their typical relationships with
human service and/or rehabilitation professionals as paternalistic or as a “professionals know best”
attitude. This general air of condescension toward individuals with disabilities has many negative and
far reaching implications which ultimately affect the ability for them to direct their own lives and
become fully integrated into their communities. When professionals view persons with disabilities
as “helpless,” employers, family members, and the general public accept this same attitude. The result
is the continuation of negative attitudes and stereotypical images of persons with disabilities
throughout the general public. This same paternalistic attitude exists in the field of supported
employment. Many rehabilitation counselors, case managers, job coaches, and program managers
have been delivering supported employment services and engaging in practices that directly or
indirectly transmit a message to persons with disabilities that “we, the professionals, are in charge.”
Nationally, such complaints as "he just doesn't appreciate the job that I got him" or "if only
I didn't have to deal with her family" are common statements made by professionals. All too often,
these professionals are making decisions for consumers. Professionals who engage in this type of
behavior are imposing their values or the agency's values on the people receiving services. When this
occurs, the rights of people with disabilities are violated. Fortunately, this method of "doing
business" is coming to an end. People with disabilities are speaking out, taking control of their lives,
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and seeking to direct the services they need. This current movement of people with disabilities
asserting choice and control over their destinies is having a major impact on supported employment
services and has led to a "customer-driven approach" to supported employment.
B
EST PRACTICES
There are nine best practices that are encompassed in this approach to supported employment.
Central to the concept is the idea that the customer is in control of the process. The role of the
employment specialist is to assist the customer in reaching his or her career goals. The best practices
form the foundation for the customer-driven approach to supported employment. High quality
supported employment service providers will incorporate these practices into their daily activities of
implementing supported employment services.
BEST PRACTICES IN A
CUSTOMER-DRIVEN APPROACH
TO SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Choice
Control
Careers
Full Inclusion
Long term Supports
Community & Business Supports
Total Quality Management
Assistive Technology
Person-Centered Planning
Choice. The opportunity to make choices concerning employment, living arrangements, and
recreation has been limited or nonexistent for many individuals with disabilities. It has become
increasingly evident that the powerlessness and lack of direction frequently felt by people with
disabilities are related to the attitudes and practices of service providers, care givers, funding
agencies, and society in general rather than any true limitation as a result of an individual’s disability.
For example, some individuals have never had an opportunity to make choices. Decision-making
skills have not been taught or encouraged, or adequate information about alternatives has not been
available. Many people with disabilities have voiced their concerns that all too frequently decisions
are made by professionals who feel that they know best and that self-assertion is often ignored,
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under-estimated, or seen as a “challenging behavior.”
Customer choice frequently has been restricted by other external forces such as agency
regulations, lack of accessible information, inadequate supports, or stereotypical attitudes. For
example, an individual may be forced to choose between attending the sheltered workshop or a job
that he or she does not like, because the agency requires that all residents who live in the group home
have eight hours of day activity.
Choice in a customer-driven model of supported employment would dictate that all
supported employment customers are presented with a variety of experiences, options, and supports
to achieve career goals of their choice. If individuals are to experience personal satisfaction and
quality of life, regardless of the level or type of disability, they must be given the opportunity and
support to express preferences. Supported employment customers need to be directing the process
by choosing the service provider, the subsequent employment specialist, and the specific support
services that they may need to obtain and maintain employment. State vocational rehabilitation
programs can assist customers with this process by sharing supported employment agency summary
data for the identification and selection of a service provider.
Control. The concept of control expands the above definition of choice to a broader concept
of exerting control and ultimately self-determination. Customers of sup-ported employment must be
in a position to not only choose their service provider and employment specialist but to have a
measure of control over the services that they seek. Federal legislation has begun to recognize the
importance of this concept and the rights of persons with disabilities to have control over their lives.
Control, as a concept in a customer-driven approach, is used to refer to an individual’s ability
to access supported employment services and to freely act upon his or her choices and decisions
without fear of reprisal. Supported employment customers must be free to participate in supported
employment services by choosing a service provider or employment specialist, by accepting or
declining a specific job, or by electing to resign or continue employment with a particular company.
Careers.
Career development is an important consideration for any adult seeking
employment. However, many supported employment service providers gauge success by the length
of time an individual remains in the same employment position. In addition, service providers often
put too much emphasis on the number of placements that they make rather than on customer
satisfaction with an employment situation. These practices continue to occur for a number of reasons
including inaccurate interpretation of federal and/or state rehabilitation policies that results in failure
to use funds for job advancement; and limited employment expectations for people with disabilities
among service providers, which directs customers into dead-end positions.
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The customer-driven approach to supported employment places an increased emphasis on
the initial time that a direct service provider spends with the customer to assist with the identification
of career goals. High quality service providers must be skilled in working closely with their
customers to develop strategies for marketing their service, establishing a rapport with the business
community, interviewing employers, and conducting in-depth job analysis of specific employment
settings. Completing this process will yield an extensive amount of information for the customer
to determine if the wages, benefits, conditions, supports, and corporate culture are sufficient for long
term career development.
Full Community Inclusion. The concept of full community inclusion calls for a vision
of society in which all persons are viewed in terms of their abilities and are welcomed into the
mainstream of community life. The whole notion of community inclusion stresses relationships both
formal and informal, as well as, business and social. Yet, a segment of the general public has the
impression that people with disabilities are better served when they are with other people with similar
disabilities. This faulty notion persists, in part, due to the creation of “special” services for people
with disabilities and by not adequately representing or connecting people with disabilities to the
formal and informal social structures.
In a customer-driven approach, the customers of supported employment services work with
service providers in the marketing of the employment service. Developing a marketing approach and
materials with the customers of the service will help to ensure that people with disabilities are
represented in a positive manner to the business community. In addition, the employment specialist
needs to actively assist customers in developing networks that are based on his or her desires, wants
and, needs. Too often, employment specialists have personally provided critical employment
supports rather than taking additional time to find a family, friend, or community source for the same
support.
Relationship building at the business site will be vital to building full community inclusion and
achieving employment satisfaction. For example, working age adults spend, on average, 40 hours
a week at their place of employment. The office or business setting is where many social
relationships are formed. This same principle holds true for people with disabilities. However,
because some people are still uncertain of how to approach someone with a disability, the
employment specialist can assist by breaking down these artificial barriers from the first day of work.
Assisting individuals with disabilities to obtain full inclusion in the work setting will facilitate a new
vision of community where all members are valued.
Long Term Supports. Supported employment provides for the necessary supports to assist
an individual with long term employment retention. By federal definition, supported employment
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includes at least two monthly contacts at the job site unless the customer requests otherwise. The
long term support component is an extremely unique feature among rehabilitation services. Unlike
other services, the entire notion of service termination is never addressed. The intention behind this
feature of supported employment is the realization that individuals, as well as businesses, are fluid.
Individuals do not simply get a job in a local business and then stay there for the rest of their lives.
While the likelihood of remaining in the same occupation has remained constant, staying with the
same employer or even in the same industry has declined significantly over the last ten years (National
Alliance of Business, 1996).
Despite the importance of long term supports, it is the area of supported employment that has
received the least amount of attention. Generally, service providers are very concerned with options
for funding of this component of supported employment. Yet, the entire notion of type and level of
support has been left open for individual interpretation.
In a customer-driven approach, the long term supports should be designed to assist the
customer in the identification and provision of supports and extended services which maintain and
enhance the person's position as a valued member of the work force. It is vital to note that many of
the issues and concerns that are presented in the long term support stage began prior to employment
or during the initial weeks of employment. There is a strong connection between the employment
match process and long term employment success. Retention and employment satisfaction must be
planned for from the beginning. Customers actively participating in all employment decisions, from
the beginning including type and level of supports and interventions, will help to ensure satisfaction.
Employment specialists must move away from the notion of stabilization and focus on long term
success. Co-worker support, assistive technology, wages, co-worker relationships, friendships,
changes in work routine, and employee and employer satisfaction are the key issues that must be
addressed in an extended services plan. Supported employment customers, employers, and direct
service providers need to determine individualized strategies for providing support that will assist
in career advancement and, ultimately, facilitate long term job satisfaction for the customer and the
employer.
Community & Business Supports. As stated earlier, the whole notion of support has been
vital to the national expansion of sup-ported employment. The individualized nature of supported
employment in the delivery of needed assistance in conjunction with an employment specialist is the
major reason why supported employment is widely accepted and promoted by people with
disabilities. As the customer-driven approach evolves, the employment specialist must develop the
necessary skills to ensure that the customers of the service are directing the process.
Natural supports as originally introduced includes supports to be provided by individuals, such
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as co-workers and employers, who are not hired by a human services organization. In a customerdriven approach, these supports include a full range of supports that can be found both at the
employee’s place of business and in the community. They are designed to assist an individual with
employment and community participation. An employment specialist must be prepared and have the
necessary knowledge to develop community and business supports, facilitate informed choice, assist
in assessing preferred choice, provide a variety of individualized supports, coordinate and monitor
all types of assistance and respond to changes over time. The direct service providers of supported
employment should be spending less time actually engaged in delivering a support and more time
engaged in assessing a situation with a customer, sharing information about possible support options,
assisting the customer in accessing the support option, and evaluating the effectiveness of the
strategy.
Continuous Quality Improvement. The concept of continuous quality improvement is
known by many different terms and variations to include: Total Quality Control, Total Quality
Improvement, Total Quality, and Managing for Quality. There are striking similarities between these
terms that generally refer to an approach that can be used by a service delivery provider to
constantly reevaluate quality. Continuous quality improvement calls for service providers to focus
their time and energy on improving the process, the product, and the service. The key to continuous
improvement is driven and defined by the customer.
In a customer-driven approach to sup-ported employment services, providers must listen to
the wishes and desires of persons with significant disabilities to determine the agency’s mission, goals
and objectives. People with disabilities who are participating in sup-ported employment or who are
actively seeking services should be assisting in developing and evaluating services. In addition,
employment specialists should play an active role in assisting the agency with continuous quality
improvement. Having job coaches, job developers, and customers working together will give the
agency the necessary data to drive the quality improvement.
Assistive Technology. Since the early 1970's, assistive technology or rehabilitation
technology has emerged and opened unlimited employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.
Individuals who at one time faced enormous barriers concerning accessibility, communication, and
mobility can now optimize their intellectual and physical capabilities. With the use of voice
synthesizers, people are able to express their wants and desires. Computers can be operated by a
human voice or a simple gaze of an eye. This new technology is unlocking doors and providing
opportunities for a greater number of people to obtain and maintain employment.
Person-Centered Planning. Sup-ported employment has always been about assisting one
person at a time in achieving employment satisfaction. Yet, over time, some people continue to be
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excluded from supported employment. Person-centered planning seeks to support the contributions
of each person in his or her local community by building a sup-port group around the individual.
This support group or community network functions together to assist the focus person in obtaining
his or her goals and aspirations. Group members commit to regular get-together designed to solve
problems, develop strategies, and make commitments to act on behalf of the focus per-son with a
disability.
In a customer-driven approach to sup-ported employment, person-centered planning provides
an excellent tool for the customer to direct the career process. Family, friends, and paid care givers
meet together to assist the individual in obtaining and maintaining community integrated competitive
employment. The support group continues to meet even after a job is found to assist the individual
in maintaining career satisfaction and other goals for full community inclusion.
C
USTOMER, NOT CONSUMER
The most significant change is how people with disabilities perceive themselves, and what
they want from their relationships with professionals. The “customer’s” concept represents a change
in thinking and is part of the evolutionary process occurring nationally. Today, people with
disabilities seeking community integrated competitive employment are referring to themselves as
customers. They are still saying that they want and need the assistance of a professional to obtain and
maintain competitive employment. However, what they are demanding is for supported employment
services to be developed, marketed, and delivered based upon what would best fit the customer's
needs, rather than what is convenient to the existing service system.
S
ERVICE PROVIDER
In the 1980's, service providers never discussed how people with disabilities could select a
supported employment program. Today, most communities have multiple sup-ported employment
service providers. Customers must interview each program to determine which organization receives
their business. Some of the best examples of this practice can be found in communities that are using
a voucher system to pay for supported employment services. Rehabilitation customers with vouchers
are exercising their rights to purchase supported employment services from friends, human service
organizations, or community employment agencies.
One of the key factors related to employment retention is the rapport that is established
between the direct service provider and the new employee. Therefore, once a customer has selected
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the supported employment service provider, he or she should interview the direct service staff of the
organization to determine which individual would be best suited to deliver his or her service needs.
The following table presents a series of questions that customers can use when preparing to
interview supported employment service providers and to make a subsequent decision regarding
employment supports.
CUSTOMER’S SELECTING A SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT
SERVICE PROVIDER
Before the Interview
#
#
#
#
Call and schedule an appointment.
Make a list of interview questions.
Identify priority questions.
Invite a support person or note taker to accompany you to the interview.
After the Interview
# Organize information following the interview and compare results.
# Decide which provider will best meet your needs.
# Call the provider and let them know why you selected their service.
# Write a note to the programs that you didn’t select and let them know why they lost your
business.
Interview Questions
# Does your program have a written vision?
# What types of services does your agency offer?
# Do you have experience serving customers with different types of disabilities?
# How would you describe the role of the customer in supported employment?
# Have you excluded people with disabilities from your program? If so why?
# Describe how you present your program to a prospective employer?
# May I see a copy of your marketing materials?
# How many employment specialists does your agency employ?
# What is the average length of employment for your employment specialists?
# Do the majority of your customers have part-time or full-time employment?
# What is the average weekly earnings of your customers?
# What types of jobs have you assisted customers in finding?
# Does your program assist customers with Social Security issues?
# Do customers choose their employment specialists?
# How do you fund extended services?
# How do you assess customer satisfaction? Do you have any data?
# Do you have any program references from customers, employers, and family members?
Brooke, Wehman, Inge & Parent, 1995
R
OLE OF THE EMPLOYMENT SPECIALIST
The most exciting feature that is consistent throughout the customer-driven approach
to supported employment is the clear shift of control from the service provider to the customer.
Historically, this individual has had many titles such as: trainer advocate, job trainer, job coach,
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supported employment training specialist, and employment specialist. For purposes of this manual,
the direct service position in supported employment will be referred to as the employment specialist
or job coach.
Within a customer-driven approach to supported employment, the employment specialist’s
job functions are linked to major components of the support service to include the following: 1)
customer profile; 2) career development; 3) employment match; 4) job-site training and supports and;
5) long-term supports/extended services. However, the specific activities that the employment
specialist actually performs within these categories will vary depending upon the needs of the
individual requesting services. To adequately perform each of these functions, the employment
specialist must move comfortably in and out of a variety of roles. There are five distinct roles that
supported employment direct service personnel perform within each of the functions associated with
a customer-driven approach to supported employment.
The five roles described in this section are not weighted, and therefore share the same level
of importance. A good employment specialist would not, for example, focus solely on the
“consultant role” or the “planner role” to the exclusion of the other areas. Rather, a well-trained
employment specialist must be prepared to serve in many different capacities to effectively meet the
needs of individuals with significant disabilities who seek supported employment services. It is
important to remember that the employment specialist must work closely with the customer,
employer, co-workers, family, and others, providing as little or as much assistance as the individual
needs to accomplish her or his identified goals. The following section will review the activities
associated with each of these distinct roles.
Planner Role
An employment specialist acting in the planner role would analyze the services that a
supported employment customer was seeking and then assist him or her in the development of a plan
to achieve the identified goals. The planner role involves the development of a customer profile in
which desirable career options and community supports are identified. Mapping out activities,
identifying potential supports, scheduling meetings with organizations, and identifying resources to
be utilized would be important functions of the planner role. Setting up and conducting a situational
assessment is one example of a desirable activity for the planner. This service would be provided to
those customers who were seeking clarity in choosing a career path, distinguishing interests, or
identifying critical support needs.
Consultant Role
An employment specialist must be prepared to enter into a consultant relationship with
customers of supported employment services. As with any consultant relationship, the expectations
related to this role would be to provide recommendations based upon the consultant’s knowledge and
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expertise. The supported employment customer would be free to then accept or reject the
consultant's advice and to contract for additional services as needed. A specific example of the
consultant role would be to provide recommendations to the customer in regards to employment
selection, job site organization, use of compensatory strategies, technology, and potential support that
would assist in getting and keeping a job.
Head Hunter Role
The head hunter role represents an important area of job responsibilities for the employment
specialist. Acting in this role, the employment specialist engages in a variety of marketing activities
ranging from the development and dissemination of promotional information about supported
employment services to the identification of strategies for an individual to market him or herself to
a prospective employer. A “high power” head hunter would remain current with community labor
market and local economic development opportunities and include such job responsibilities as
tracking data on primary and secondary labor markets within a community, conducting labor market
surveys, participating in business advisory boards, keeping files on community employers, and making
cold calls to businesses with the intent of seeking position openings or potential need to hire.
Essentially, the head hunter spends time developing strong relationships with the entire employment
community.
Technician Role
An employment specialist will be required to perform in the role of a technician, requiring
many technical skills and abilities. She or he must be well versed in the latest high and low
rehabilitation technologies that would assist an individual to enter the world of work, to maintain a
current employment position, or obtain a career advancement. The technician’s role also requires the
employment specialist to be able to identify appropriate strategies to teach needed skills, provide
training as needs arise, and to fade assistance in a systematic pro-cess that ensures acquisition and
maintenance of a skill. A typical example of the technician’s role performed by an employment
specialist is providing instruction to a customer on how to ride public transportation. The customer
assists the technician in identifying a desirable training option and possible supports. The desired
choice would then be implemented by a family member, a person riding the bus, or the employment
specialist. It is the technician's responsibility to set up the training procedure and ensure that it is
implemented as the customer requested.
Community Resource Role
The community resource role requires the employment specialist to have a thorough
knowledge of the community. This knowledge can be obtained by conducting regular community
analysis activities that investigate potential support resources. These resource areas are not limited
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to the business community, but rather covers the entire range of community supports to include
transportation, recreation, social, housing, and independent living, organizations and agencies. Acting
in this community resource role, the employment specialist continually identifies information that will
be used to assist an individual in determining preferences for possible supports. This role is vital in
helping to ensure that customers are not only achieving a measure of economic success but also social
success.
I
MPLEMENTING THE CUSTOMER-DRIVEN APPROACH
As discussed earlier in this chapter, techniques for implementing a customer-driven approach
to supported employment require the individual with the significant disability to direct the process.
Decisions from selecting the community service provider and job coach to identifying the type and
level of long-term supports must be made by the supported employment customer. The following
section provides a brief description of the major components of a customer-driven approach to supported employment with techniques for implementation.
Organizational Marketing and Job Development
In the past, when supported employment programs conducted organizational marketing it was
done in isolation of people with disabilities. With a customer-driven approach the individual with a
significant disability and his or her family members become active participants in the process. While
organizational marketing has very different goals and objectives than career development, good
marketing techniques naturally blend into the job development phase of supported employment.
Career development is an important consideration for any adult seeking employment.
However, many supported employment service providers gage success by the length of time an
individual remains in the same employment position. In addition, service providers often put too
much emphasis on the number of placements made rather than on customer satisfaction with an
employment situation. While these practices continue to occur for a number of reasons, service
delivery can improve through increased knowledge of federal and/or state regulations and increased
employment expectations for people with disabilities.
The customer-driven approach to supported employment places new emphasis on relationship
building with customers and employers for careers. High quality service providers must be skilled in
working closely with customers and together develop strategies for marketing their service,
establishing a rapport with the business community, inter-viewing employers, and conducting in-depth
job analysis of specific employment settings. Completing this process will allow the service provider
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to gather an extensive amount of information for the customer to determine if the wages, benefits,
conditions, supports, and corporate culture are sufficient for long term career development. The
following table presents a list of customer-driven practices associated with organizational marketing
and job development.
ORGANIZATIONAL MARKETING AND JOB DEVELOPMENT:
THE PATH TO CAREERS
# Customer works with the organization and moves about the business community using
competitive, business oriented language.
# Customer and employment specialist develop marketing materials.
# Customer manages the job search with support from the employment specialist.
# Customer conducts informational inter-viewing with business community.
# Customer and employment specialist develop employment resume for specific job searches.
# Customer is aware of how service provider represents him/her and ADA to the business
community
Customer Profile
The intent of supported employment has always been to provide a vocational alternative for
individuals who were screened out of traditional rehabilitation models. Yet, over the years, supported
employment service providers continued to use information gained during assessment to determine
whether an individual was "ready" for competitive employment. The customer-driven approach
moves away from the term assessment and resulting concepts that exclude individuals from
employment.
Instead, service providers need to obtain a "snapshot" or profile of the customer and what
he or she wants to achieve through sup-ported employment. A person's age and past experiences will
provide a guide to obtain the information necessary to gather during this pro-cess. In all cases, it is
critical for the service provider to spend time with the customer and his or her family members to
determine personal strengths, concerns, desires, and anticipated employment outcomes. Short
situational assessments in real work environments, person- centered planning, and the identification
of possible community and business supports will assist supported employment service providers in
assuring high quality outcomes and customer satisfaction. The following table will provide techniques
for a customer-driven approach to customer profile.
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CUSTOMER PROFILE
# Customer is assisted in developing an employment vision.
# Customer and family members spend time getting to know service provider.
# Customer is assisted in identifying significant people who are interested in employment
outcome.
# Customer is encouraged to share wants, likes, and needs.
# Customer participates in situational assessment.
# Customer is assisted in developing potential list of support needs.
Employment Selection
Compiling and analyzing the information gathered during the customer profile phase with the
information collected on the business is the only way to ensure a successful employment start.
Typically, months elapse between the time the service provider completes the customer profile and
subsequently performs a detailed job analysis on a prospective employment position. When a job
opening occurs, service providers may not carefully analyze the unique features related specifically
to the business and the individual. Rushing to fill job openings causes service providers to exclude
the customer in the employment match process. Customers often are not contacted by service
providers until it is time for a job interview. When an individual is left out of the process, he or she
will not be vested in the job that the agency locates.
Implementing a customer-driven approach calls for the service provider to be concerned with
long-term employment success by assisting the customer in organizing and achieving a desirable plan
for the future. Service providers must involve customers in every aspect of the employment match
process. For instance, jobs often are found through family and friends. Customers of supported
employment programs need to use their networks and contacts as the service provider assists with
coordinating and implementing support strategies. In addition, customers are beginning to assist in
the job analysis process to learn information about the business. Regardless of whether the
customer, family member, friend, or direct service provider finds the job, it is critical to complete a
job analysis to ensure that the employment situation matches the customer’s career plans. Further,
the customer-driven approach requires that the customer, not the service provider, choose the
employment opportunities using the information gathered from the employment site and customer
profile. Customer-driven employment selection practices are listed in the following table.
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EMPLOYMENT SELECTION
# Customer is notified of all job openings as program becomes aware.
# Customer assists employment specialist in analyzing personal strengths and interests with
specific employer demands and business culture.
# Customer determines if salary and benefit package are satisfactory.
# Customer determines if interested in pursuing job opening.
Job-Site Training and Support
Detailed job duty analysis, identification and use of community and workplace supports,
systematic instruction, compensatory strategies, orientation training, and workplace accommodations
have always been the cornerstones of well-developed job-site training and support plans. Loss of
employment during this supported employment phase reflects a deficit in the instructional procedure
or job match process rather than the individual’s ability to work competitively. However, over the
years, as individuals lost jobs, many service providers labeled these persons as, “not job ready.” This
notion of job readiness goes against the founding philosophy of supported employment.
If supported employment programs are going to serve persons with the most significant
disabilities, direct service providers must use the existing technology and best practices described
extensively in the literature. When using a customer-driven approach to supported employment, the
customer is involved in all decisions regarding his or her training. Customers should assist in the
development of the job duty analysis and task analysis, selection of instructional procedures, design
and purchase of assistive devices, and identification and design of compensatory strategies to ensure
that customers are directing their own careers. Strategies for customer-driven job-site training and
support are listed below.
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JOB-SITE TRAINING AND
SUPPORT
# Customer works with the employment specialist to determine training and support needs.
# Customer selects training and support options.
# Customer works with the employment specialist to develop all plans and/or contracts.
# Customer works with the employment specialist to determine fading schedule.
# Customer is in regular contact with employer.
# Customer is in regular contact and develops relationships with co-workers from the first day
of employment.
Long Term Support
Over the years, some customers of supported employment services have voiced their concerns
about the follow-along visits from the employment specialist. Typically, these issues centered around
the intrusive practices used by some employment specialists to monitor customer progress, which
were stigmatizing in the business setting. The intended goal of long term supports is to assist the
customer in the identification and provision of supports and extended services necessary to maintain
and enhance the person’s position as a valued member of the work force. Supported employment
customers, employers, and direct service providers need to determine individualized strategies for
providing support that will assist in career advancement and ultimately facilitate long term job
satisfaction for the customer and the employer. The following table presents a list of customer-driven
practices for long-term supports.
LONG-TERM SUPPORTS
# Customer and the employment specialist assess employment stability.
# Customer and employment specialist assess employment satisfaction.
# Customer and employment specialist address career advancement options.
# Customer and employment specialist analyze long term support issues.
# Customer and employment specialist analyze long term funding issues and options
S
UMMARY
Over the last decade, a great deal has occurred affirming supported employment as the option
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of choice to traditional segregated day programs. This has developed thanks to the work of
thousands of individuals with disabilities and advocates from across the country. Yet, it is clear that
many people with significant disabilities are still unable to access community integrated competitive
employment. People with disabilities are beginning to speakout and are suggesting change in
response to the current practices among sup-ported employment service providers. This manual has
been designed to assist supported employment customers, service providers, and employers as we
work together to assist greater numbers of people with disabilities to obtain their careers of choice.
The remaining sections of this manual will cover techniques and strategies for entering into real
partnerships with customers as we work together to implement the components of supported
employment and obtain employment success.
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R
EFERENCES
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Virginia Commonwealth University, Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Supported
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